Bedstead-fastening



UNiTEn sTaTns PATENT cerros.

I. A. SERGEANT, OF HAMILTON, OHIO.

BEDSTEAD-FASTENING.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 9,122, dated July 13, 1852.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC A. SERGEANT, of Hamilton, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, have invented new and usea fastening that shall rather strengthen than weaken the fabric of the bedstead and which at the same time is not liable to work loose in the wood as iron bedstead fastenings commonly are.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a post. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a socket detached therefrom. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a rail with the pins n situ. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a rail before the insertion of the pins. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pins. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the tenon showing the situation of the pins with reference to the ain.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout.

(o) are the circular mortises formed in the post for the reception of the iron sockets (I) b) which are made thin and deep in order to admit as large a tenon as possible. The socket being slightly diminished in external diameter toward the rear, remains when forced into the mortise firmly embedded within the post, and its stability is further insured by two wood-screws (c) which are inserted between lugs (d) upon the socket. Just within the verge of the socket are two spiral anges (CZ) which start each from its respective notch (e) and wind around the inside of the ring to the opposite notch so as to appropriate as much of the circumference of the ring as practicable and thus attain an easy inclination with suiiicient draft and avoid the danger of slipping over the end of the spiral. The notches are of size adapted to allow the passage of the pin (f or f) upon the rail tenon which tenon is as usual turned somewhat smaller than the rail body, so as to leave a square shoulder to fit closely against the face of the post. Each pin consists of a head (g) and tang (h) at right angles thereto and chamfered to a feather edge the chamfer being on opposite sides in the different pins and the chamfered side in each pin having a notch o-r step s0 as to cause the pins to interlock in their bearings, and resist any tendency to obstruction in direction of their tangs when driven forcibly past each other within the perforation in the rail the perforation being of sucha size as just to admit of the reception of the pins by pressure of a vise or blow of a hammer, but small enough to insure the elastic reaction of the woody fiber pressing the notches of the tangs tightly within each other. The heads (g) are so disposed in relation to the notches as to press hard against the tenon side as soon as the notches have caught and when the pins are brought to bear within the socket of the post, the harder their extremities are drawn forward the more eifectually they grasp and resist any rending of the rail.

By placing the pins athwart the bastard grain the tenon is strengthened in this the. weakest direction of the wood, without materially weakening it in the other direction so that the pin, instead of being a source of weakness to the tenon actually adds strength to it and renders it of nearly equal coherence in every direction.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- Forming the tenon portion of a bedstead joint by catch-studs or pins (f) having heads (g) projecting rectangular-ly from tangs so tapered and notched, that by being slipped forcibly past each other they can be made to interlock within a socket drilled for them across the radial or bastard grain of the rail tenon, and be made by their thus interlocking to resist any tendency to be drawn out from the rail, and by the compressure of their heads to prevent the rending apart of the ber o-f the tenon and can be made of such dimensions that a j pin of adequate strength can be inserted within the limits of an ordinary bedstead tenon.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand before two subscribing wit nesses.

I. A. SERGEANT.

WVitnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, E. I-I. PUGH. 

